Studying how Children use the Internet
Many adults don't "get" a lot of what's on the Internet, so their chances of understanding children's use of the Internet are low. Fortunately, there are more studies to help. One of the first significant, scientific studies came from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Kids don't just use online media a lot, they use multiple forms of media -- TV, music, chat, web -- all at once. KFF has since followed up with another study on how families use media to manage their young children.
Social networking sites are starting to cause worry for parents while their use is exploding. New Scientist has a great primer on social networking and the Internet. It's almost a given that all 2008 U.S. presidential candidates will have their own social networking pages. New Scientist continues a series of stories on social networking and its impact on attitudes and privacy.